


Confused Appetite

by Maqeurious



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Family, M/M, Multi, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Slice of Life, dead pepper potts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 15:14:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22369282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maqeurious/pseuds/Maqeurious
Summary: After the death of his wife, Tony Stark packs up his life, puts himself and his daughter on a plane and heads to Australia to start over.  Thanks to his hetero life partner Rhodey, he is welcomed into a new community where he can heal, make new friends and raise his daughter.Warning:  I ramble.  A lot.
Relationships: Loki/Tony Stark
Comments: 5
Kudos: 22





	1. New Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. Just a heads up. This is my first time posting on AO3, so I'm still getting used to the format and how it all works. 
> 
> Hope you like it. No beta, just as is.

It was official, I decided as I ran a weary hand through my flat, tired hair and yawned loudly. I am never doing this again. Never, ever! Flying sucked on a good day, what with the small cramped seats, toilet cubicles that could only be used comfortably if you folded yourself in half, and the often times overpowering stench of pungent deodorant covering up even worse B.O, and that was just flying across the country. Now take all of those awful, annoying things and add dry, recycled fart laced cabin air, bland or overly salty food and threats of deep vein thrombosis stretched over a 20 hour international flight and 5 hour domestic connection, and it was enough to convince me that when the door of this god forsaken plane opened and I stepped out onto the tarmac, I was never flying again. Nope. I was done.

“ _Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Perth Airport,_ ” the flight attendant announced over the intercom. “ _The local time is 5.35pm and it's a mild 33 degrees..._ ” Wait, did she sound like she was laughing? I could have sworn I heard her laughing. They used degrees celsius in Australia, right? What exactly was that converted to fahrenheit?

“Oh Christ...” I heard the man occupying the seat in front of me mutter to the woman who was beside him before he turned to press his face against the window. “Out of the nice cold and straight back to the shitty heat! I wish I was back in Houston.” He breathed this sigh that was so deep, his exhale fogged up the plexiglass. I had to mentally pinch my mouth closed so I wouldn't make an audible scoff. My gaze followed and I took in my first view of the airport as we were turning and taxiing towards the terminal. I wasn't sure if 33 degrees celsius was considered warm as the attendant seemed to hint at – with an edge of mirth mind you – or not, but by the look on this guys face I wasn't optimistic. But if his thick, Australian accent told me anything, it was only to confirm that there were a rare breed of people that purposefully escaped the heat of summer to find refuge in the colder climates, such as winter in Texas of all places. I mean honestly, why the hell would you choose cold over heat?

“ _For your safety and comfort, pl_ _ease_ _remain seated_ _with your_ _seat belt fastened_ _until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign._ _Please ensure your devices continue to remain in flight mode until we are at the terminal..._ ”

“Daddy?”

My eyes snapped back and down to the little body slumped over and squished into the side of me, her brunette head lifting slowly as she rubbed sleep from her drowsy, brown eyes. This little girl, the cutest little nugget I'd ever seen in my entire 41 years of life, dragged her gaze up to me and let out a small puff of air akin to a snore. I couldn't help but smile, taking her tiny chin between my thumb and forefinger to bring her eyes to focus on mine. “Wakey wakey princess, we're here.” I kept the _'finally'_ to myself in favor of pinching her little cheek. “Sit up straight babe. I'm just gonna make sure we have all our stuff.”

I gathered up any trash that had happened to accumulate during our flight, stuffing them into the small plastic bag I'd kept when I brought my favorite whisky at the duty free shop and put all the leaflets and emergency procedure pamphlets back into the seat pouches. They were a little worse for wear having been scribbled in with a variety of colored pencils, and the in-flight magazine was practically torn to shreds. But hell, when a moody toddler decided 30,000 feet in the air was the best time to throw a mega sized tantrum because she was over tired and refused to sleep, letting her destroy the air plane literature was a fair compromise if it kept her quiet.

A final bump and jostle told me the plane had docked at the terminal. Around me the other passengers were quickly leaping to their feet – before the seat belt sign had been turned off I noticed – and were just as hungry to get off this plane as I was. Travelling internationally with a toddler, as beautiful and as endearing as she is, would have broken a younger, dumber me. Even so, I was never getting back on a plane with her until she was at least a teenager and could zone out watching movies or listening to music while I happily liquored myself up. I'd grown stronger over the last couple of years. A lot stronger. I'd had to.

“Can we get off now, daddy?” Morgan asked me in her small, tired voice. “No more plane please.” Her brow crinkled as she narrowed her eyes. _Shit._ I knew that look. Countdown to tantrum in 5...4...3...

“Yes baby, we're getting off now.” I heard the ding overhead that told me the seat belt sign had been turned off and I unbuckled quickly, standing to fetch the luggage stowed in the compartment above us before finally letting Morgan free from her belt and lifting her to stand on the seat so she could stretch out her legs. The aisle was full of passengers, but it wasn't long before we were slowly herded from the aircraft and out onto the stairs leading to the tarmac.

The heat hit me like a punch to the face and for a split second I struggled to breathe. With every inhale it felt like a plastic bag was being put over my head to suffocate the shit out of me. It reminded me of that moment when you opened an oven and a rush of heat and steam slammed into your face if you were stupid enough to stick your head there in the first place. Morgans fingers tightened around mine as she too squirmed at the temperature, lifting her other hand to shield her face from the bright sun. This was very, _very_ different from the dry heat of California. This was thick and humid, like fingers creeping up your neck to slowly and subtly strangle you without you realizing it. I mentally kicked myself for thinking coming to Australia in January, which to my surprise the height of summer, was a good idea. I should have known better. Well, I did. I mean, I wasn't stupid. I knew the seasons were reversed compared to the United States, but for one reason or another I just blanked on that vital piece of information until it was too late. I did have other, more pressing matters on my mind however. Like selling the house, procuring a shipping container for the items I wanted shipped across the ocean for us and selling everything I wasn't too sad to see go and sorting all our visas and immigration papers. That had been the most important and taken the longest. I'd started the paperwork months ago when I found out I was eligible to apply for a Skilled Visa, and thanks to my expertise as a small engines and motorcycle mechanic, I was practically given a golden path into the country.

Thinking it would be easier to just carry my borderline grumpy four year old, I hoisted her onto my hip and made my way down the steps and along the path, following the big yellow arrows and ground crew to the entrance of the terminal, wheeling the brown and black carry on suitcase behind me. As soon as we entered the large double doors, made our way up the stairs and then through another set of smaller doors, we were finally in the thick of the international airport among a throng of people. I set Morgan down beside me to reach into my jeans pocket and pulled out my cell phone, flicking through the options to turn off the air plane mode and enable my WiFi. It took seconds for my phone to ding to life, the notification rings coming one after the other. There were nine in total. Five of the texts and one missed phone call was from Happy, no doubt wanting to fuss and mother hen me even from the other side of the planet. There were a couple from my old colleagues at the workshop back in California sending me well wishes and the like. But it was the single text from _'platypus'_ that caught my immediate attention. I tapped on it to read it.

_At baggage claim. Move your ass. Carol has dinner ready and I'm getting hangry!_ \- Rhodes

James 'Rhodey' Rhodes. My one and only. My best friend. My brother from another mother. We'd been joined at the hip since we were kids, before he went and enlisted in the military as soon as he turned 18 and was consequently shipped all over the planet, ripping our little twosome apart. We'd stayed in contact constantly though through the years, always being there in person for the big milestones if we were able. He'd flown to the States for my wedding as my best man, I'd flown to Australia for his to do the same. We'd even been there for each others birth of our firstborns, or 'only-born' in my case. I'd also been there the day he got out of surgery after a nasty injury with an IED left him an amputee from the left knee down. And he'd been there to hold me together while I grieved at Peppers' funeral with a one year old in my arms clueless as how to be a single, widowed father.

I smiled down at my phone. _I'm coming_ , I replied. _Be a dear and get our suitcases would you platypus._ I took Morgans hand in my own and led her towards the baggage claim area when my phone dinged again with nothing but a small, brown middle finger emoji.

~~***~~

“Tony!”

It didn't take me long to pick out Rhodes from the crowd, he was the only one beaming a wide toothed grin and waving his hand in the air. I visibly snickered and shook my head, flinging myself into his open arms. He pulled me into a giant bear hug knocking the air out of my lungs. It surprised me just how little effort at all it took to lift him off the ground, but I squeezed him back with just as much vigor.

“Looking good there partner,” I mumbled into his shoulder and feeling the faint sharpness of bones under his blue collared shirt. “Where's the rest of ya? Carol mustn't be feeding you enough?” He claps me on the back before drawing me out to arms length so he can flick me right in the middle of my forehead.

“Don't let her hear you say that,” he says trying to ruffle my hair; the bastard. “You know she has supersonic hearing. She'll have you walking home if you're not careful.”

I can't help but snort and grin. “I bet.”

He kneels down then, coming eye to eye with the little monster trying her hardest to use my legs as a cloaking device. “Hello again Morgan,” he says with a sickly sweet smile, “It's been along time since I saw you last.”

“Hello.” Her reply is curt, but I can see the corner of her mouth quirk a little.

“Don't be shy, babe,” I manage in my most encouraging tone, “you remember Rhodey don't you?”

She seemed to ponder a moment before finally stepping out from the safety of my legs and offered him a knowing smile. But instead of a 'hello' she stuck out her foot and pointed her toes downwards to show off her gold and silver glittered sandals I'd brought her before leaving the States. “I got new shoes,” she said happily, “They're sparkly.”

My eyes rolled hard to the back of my head. Classic Morgan. To hell with introductions, just straight to showing off her shoes. Rhodey on the other hand bubbled up with laughter. “Yes I see, very sparkly.”

I shrugged. “What can I say, she's a show off, like her father.”

Forty five minutes later and we were sitting comfortably in Rhodeys Audi navigating the early evening traffic that thankfully had absolutely nothing on the horrid traffic of California. Morgan, strapped in the booster seat in the back, had dozed off before even leaving the airport terminal car park, the poor thing. I'd have to make sure to make it up to her tomorrow.

“Fair warning Tony, Carols been so excited to see Morgan,” Rhodes said, “Though I think it's more to do with the chance to dress her up all girly girl like. She's been out shopping for clothes and everything. Like.... poofy dresses man. Princess dresses. Be prepared.”

Hilarious. “Perhaps you should give her a daughter then,” I joked.

“Two boys are more then enough.” Rhodes laughed. “Maybe we'll get lucky next time. She has been cooking up a storm for dinner though, so make yourselves at home. After you've eaten I'll take you down to your unit. We finished up the last of the renovations yesterday morning so it's good to go.”

I nodded. Both gratitude and embarrassment rearing it's ugly two-faced head. A few years ago Carol had been lucky (or unlucky depending on how you looked at it) to inherit her uncles properties after he'd passed away. Much to her surprise though, it wasn't just the single house. He'd left her what equated to be a god damned gated block of villas consisting of five rented out, stand alone units spread out over a very decent sized acreage, and a large townhouse to oversee the residents. It had, however, given Carol and Rhodey the opportunity to move their growing family out of the cramped housing on base and into the townhouse as the newly appointed landlords. Then, as luck would have it, one of the older residents had decided it was time to move into an assisted living facility and moved out leaving them a tenant short and a very happy man with a shit-eating grin face-timing me day and night with an offer I just couldn't refuse. He got me. It was the final nail in the coffin I'd needed to decide once and for all to pack up our lives in L.A and fly to the other side of the world. I had taken the very kind offer of a place to live, but refused the reduced rent he'd put forward. I was more then willing and able to pay our way. I was extremely thankful, but I wasn't a charity case.

“I no I've said it a million times, but thanks again.” We exchanged a smile.

“Dude, it's our pleasure,” he said. “It's a nice place too. Down the back and away from the main road. It's also the only one with a decent sized yard. The old tenant had a small dog that destroyed the gardens but we fixed it up and laid new turf. A slide and a swing set and Morgan will have it all.”

This man was such a fucking treasure.

“So, how you doing anyway?” He asked after a few quiet moments. I shrugged.

“I'm fine.”

“Hey. Don't bullshit me Stark.” I noticed him side-eyeing me. “How are you _really_?”

I sighed. I should have seen this coming...considering.

“It was 3 years yesterday, what can I say?” Three years since I became a widower. “I keep getting older but the hurt stays the same. There are days when all I can think about is how much I miss her but am also so angry that she won't get the chance to see Morgan grow up. But then there are other times when days or weeks will go by and I'm in the middle of doing some mundane task and it hits me like a kick in the gut that I haven't thought about her at all. I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare me that one of these days I'm going to completely forget her.”

“Nah.” Rhodey didn't take his eyes of the road, but as he spoke it felt like he was looking me dead in the eye to get his point across. “I get it, but that's just impossible. I mean, look at her.” My attention unconsciously went to the sleeping figure behind me, her little red cheeks puffing in and out as she snored silently. “How could you ever possibly forget Pepper when she left behind the best fucking memory she could ever impart. Sure, one day you'll move on and the time you had together may fade somewhat, but you'll never forget. Moving on is just a part of the process and it's nothing you should feel guilty about. And you shouldn't feel guilty about not thinking about Pepper every moment of every day. It's been four years. The Pepper I knew wouldn't want you wallowing around forever. She'd want you to find someone that makes you happy. Or a dog. You know, which ever is easiest.”

“Gee, thanks.” I deadpanned.

He laughed.”You know what I mean dork. Just, stop being so hard on yourself. OK?”

I couldn't help the smile spreading across my face as I leaned back in my seat and folded my arms across my chest to relax. “Yes, Mom.”

That earned me another flick on the forehead while my eyes were closed. The bastard.

~~**~~

Rhodey hadn't been lying when he said Carol went all out for dinner. The dining table was decked out in an elaborate roast lamb meal with all the sides and fixings and a couple of bottles of wine. As soon as we'd entered the door Carol had given me a quick peck on the cheek and promptly whisked Morgan away to 'tend to her highness' as she put it, by freshening her up and putting her in an overly poofy-fied dress with Elsa's' face plastered all over the bodice. Poor Carol, if only she knew Ana was clearly Morgans favorite; not to mention the heart of the whole movie. She did look super cute though.

Their two boys, six year old Marcus and two year old Rae, were heartily shoving food in their mouths, or face in Rae's' case, and Carol was fussing over filling a plate for Morgan and myself. I'd last seen her when Rhodey was discharged from hospital after his surgery three years ago, but it seemed like she hadn't aged a day. Her hair was shorter, and she may have had a few more laugh lines, but she was still a beauty.

“Hey hun, can you do a plate for Thor please?” Rhodey said over his shoulder as he mopped up the smooshed mashed potato over Rae's mouth. “He called earlier. It seemed like the bar was really busy and without his head chef you know he's not going to have eaten anything. I'll drop it off to his place when I take Tony down back.”

My ears perked up. “Thor?”

“Uh, yeah. He rents one of our units. He manages the local sports bar on the Esplanade. It's the most popular pub in town.”

“Speaking of”, Carol interjected, “I got in touch with my old colleagues about that job in the engineering department. Mostly governmental work but some private, more experimental stuff if you're interested. They were pretty impressed with your qualifications. They seemed fine with providing you enough work to satisfy the minimal requirements of your visa. I gave them your number so you should hear from them in the next few weeks.”

I nodded, swallowing down a mouthful of mint jelly smothered lamb, “Cool, thanks.” Until then I'd have to find a part time job. I didn't want to dive into our savings if I didn't have too. “I really don't know how I'm going to repay you guys for this.”

“Don't be silly Tony,” Carol said, “You're family.” She covered my hand with her own from across the table, “I'm just glad you finally decided to come here. I know it was a big decision, but I really think Morgan will enjoy it here. You needed a fresh start too.” I squeezed her hand back briefly before focusing on my meal again, but this time not even the delicious buttery taste of lamb could mask the rising feeling of embarrassment and the sense of charity again.

So I did what I always do, I squashed those feelings down as far as they would go, content in the fact that Carol and Rhodey never intentionally meant to keep bringing up mine and Morgans unfortunate loss to hurt us, but only because they really, actually cared. All it took was one look around this dining table and the people at it that proved that point. Morgan and Marcus were keeping themselves entertained by showing each other the chewed up food in their mouths with young Rae trying desperately to join in the fun but settling for just throwing his peas and mashed potato instead. Rhodey was right there laughing, encouraging his youngest boy to at least try and get one pea in his bothers gaping mouth. Carol on the other hand was being run ragged trying to reign the three kids and her husband in. A small voice in my head was telling me I should reprimand Morgan for playing with her food, but the look on Carol's face told me she enjoyed fussing over them, Morgan included. I didn't have the heart. Also, the look of just downright joy on my little nuggets face was enough to stop me dead. I hadn't seen her look this happy in a long, long time.

Fuck, I missed this.

An hour and two bowls of orange chocolate chip ice cream later and I was ready to drag my old bones into bed. Morgan was fighting to keep her eyes open, clearly tuckered out from the long flight, drive and playtime with the boys. Rhodey helped take our bags while I carried miss madam down the barely lit lane towards out new home. We passed by the few other properties in this gated community on the way, but I was too tired to snoop. I did notice the sound of rock music come from one house in particular which did peak my interest, so I made a note to pop in there in the morning, as well as the other homes, to introduce myself. Our house was down the very end.

“I just gotta pop in at Thor's and drop off his plate.” Rhodey said, veering off to the left and up a well manicured footpath. “Keep going down the road, you're at the back. I'll catch up with you in a minute.”

A small part of me was curious about my new neighbor, but I was dragging my feet as it were, and when the front yard to my new home came up, I double-timed it up the path, dug awkwardly in my pocket for the keys and went straight inside. It was pretty damn big inside, clean and mostly white with light grey accents. It still smelled faintly of fresh paint. The whole house would need a good airing out in the morning. I decided to forgo exploring too closely and made a bee-line for the hallway and poked my head into the first room I came across. Rhodey had mentioned he'd left the guest bed up and a few other pieces of basic furniture and appliances until our shipping container arrived from the States. It wasn't due for another couple of days, so we'd be living pretty simple until then. Finding the queen-sized bed, I set about changing Morgans clothes into something more comfortable to sleep in, much to her chagrin, and tucked her in under the blankets. We only had the one bed for now, so we'd have to share.

Rhodey arrived a few minutes later, setting my bag on the counter so I could rummage through it for my toothbrush. “I hope everything is OK Tony,” he said giving the open planned kitchen and dining area the once over. “When your stuff arrives It should feel a lot more like home.”

“It's fine, Rhodes. More then fine, even. It's fucking amazing.” He snorted and it made me laugh. “Honestly, I love it.”

He nodded. “Good then. Look, I know you're tired and probably just want to hit the sack but I just want to say I'm sorry. I know you hate feeling like a charity case, but I want you to know that Carol and I don't see you like that all.”

My smile fell then. “Rhodes, it's OK...”

He held up his hand to cut me off. “No, it's not. I just...I'm just glad you're here. You're not just my best friend you know. You're my brother. And what's family for if not for times like this?” He clapped me on my shoulder, a grin curling the corner of his mouth. “You know, to continuously hound you until you uproot your old comfortable life and drag you half way around the world, thrust you into a new job with complete strangers and subject poor Morgan to strange new places and people. I mean, this whole venture could just as easily turn to a big pile of steaming shit that has you regretting the move in the first place.”

“So you're like a shitty brother then?” I asked, returning his grin.

“More like a concerned older brother that takes the happiness of his idiot sibling personally, even if he doesn't want me too.”

“Can't you just give a noogie and be done with it?”

Rhodey laughed at loud. “Careful, I just might. I'm serious though, and I promise not to bring it up again.” He smiled at me then. A real, genuine smile. “I just want you to be happy man.”

I nodded, “I know, and I – we – are. Truly.” I gave him a quick hug before nudging him to the door. “But it's getting late and I'm tired. So unless you want to tuck me in, go away so I can get some sleep. I promise I will let you hound me in the morning. After you've made breakfast of course.”

“I'll let you tell Carol that, if you're brave enough.” He was still laughing as I was closing the door. “Good luck with that.”

“G'night platypus.”

Whether he heard me through the door or not I wasn't sure, but I was much too tired to care by that point. I did contemplate having a shower at first, but instead settled for just brushing my teeth, changing into a clean pair of pajama bottoms and carefully crawled into bed next to Morgan who was softly snoring her little head off. Over the last 24 hours I hadn't had a moment to actually relax and think about what would be in store for us. I was just so focused on actually getting here and now that we were here, and I'd had a moment to breathe, I would have to start planning what our next move would be. I needed work, Morgan needed a preschool, kindergarten or some kind of day care. A car first and foremost. I took a deep, draining sigh as I sunk into the mattress. As soon as my head hit the much-too-soft pillow, I was drifting, thinking and planning.


	2. Lord Bitch and Brood

I woke up with a start.

I would have screamed like a baby if my mouth hadn't been glued to the pillow under my head by crusted over drool.

When my eyes snapped open in the middle of my panic, I was horrified to find there was a pair of eyes staring at me from within the darkness. That alone would have been enough to make my fight or flight instincts kick in and start swinging before I was fully awake. It was, however, the two small bony fingers pinching my nose shut that made me think twice. I flinched, the intake of much needed oxygen filling my lungs almost making me fall off the side of the bed.

“Shit!” I shouted as I hauled myself up onto my elbow, drawing in air like a demon. My heart was pounding in my chest and I wondered if this what it was like to have a heart attack. The little body next to me, that I now realized was Morgan, was mere inches from my own face. 

“Sorry daddy,” Morgan whispered in a small voice. “I didn't mean to scare you.” There was a hint of a smile on her face, so I had the vague feeling she meant it a little.

I raked my hand over my face to stifle a yawn and sighed. It had been almost a year since the last time Morgan sneaked into my bed at night. Back then it had been a comfort, for me more so then her. Having her tiny form snuggled up to me on nights when the memories of Peppers death were at their worst was what kept me grounded in reality. There were moments of worry that I'd roll over and squish her in my sleep, if I managed to sleep at all; but more then once did I wake in the morning with her feet in my face or practically teetering on the edge of the mattress while she was sprawled out like a house cat on catnip, limbs all akimbo. 

“Jesus, Mo. What the heck?” I sat up, the covers falling to my lap and I clutched my bare chest. I wasn't actually going to have a stroke was I? “What's wrong? Need the toilet?” 

My little nugget shook her head.

“Did you have a bad dream?” I wouldn't blame her. Being in a new house and new bed always took some getting used to. She wasn't surrounded by her mass of toys and doll houses. There was no ambient glow of her unicorn night light or glow in the dark stickers on her ceiling. Just bare walls and a near pitch black room.

She shook her head again. “I can't sleep,” she said matter-of-factually. “It's too noisy outside.” 

I frowned. “Noisy? What kind of noise?” 

“Someone's shouting outside.”

That had me instantly wide awake, my back straightening. Morgan was never one to lie or even pretend too. 

A fight? Of all the damn luck. I drew a hand down my stubbled face to rub the sleep out of my eyes, thinking. The very quick look at the neighborhood I'd had on my way through earlier gave me nothing but the eerie feeling you'd get when you walked through a retirement village. It seemed fairly boring actually.

  
“It's okay,” I said, “scoot over and get comfy under the covers.” I pulled Morgan towards my side of the bed while I got out, flicking on the bedside lamp as I did so. Out of habit I reached under the bed to grab my trusty baseball bat only to come up empty, forgetting for a moment that this wasn't my bed let alone my room, and there would be nothing there to help me. _Damn it, Rhodey didn't mention any troublemakers in the neighborhood._ Before I could speak again, I heard shouting through the only window in the bedroom. It was muffled, but it was certainly there. Muted, seemingly male and rambling. I couldn't make out any words, but it sounded urgent. I turned towards the bedroom door.

“Where are you going?” There was a sudden look of panic on Morgans face.

“Nowhere Mo.” I reached down and tucked the blankets under her properly. “I'm just going to see what's going on. Stay here okay, close your eyes. Try and go to sleep.”

Morgan nodded and pulled the covers up around her chin and gave me a small mischievous smirk that instantly melted my heart, making the memory of her scaring the absolute shit out of me just moments before long forgotten.

Turning off the lamp again, I grabbed my cellphone and crept out the door closing it firmly behind me. Even in the dark I managed to navigate the hallway and head out into the open plan dining and kitchen area, making my way slowly to the front door. Behind the kitchen I spied a smaller room I guessed was meant to be an office. It didn't have a window facing towards the outside for me to peak through, instead the window was facing in towards the kitchen which was just...odd. It would make a great play room for Morgan though.

Opposite the office was another door. This room was completely empty, but much larger in size with a small walk in wardrobe and what looked like an en suite off to the left. The master bedroom obviously. The opposite wall had large windows that faced the street, so I padded over and carefully pushed the blinds to the side; I saw immediately where the ruckus was coming from.

Across the road and a few yards up under a large tree, a car was parked diagonally along the pavement. I could make out at least three people, two of which were definitely shouting. There were no street lights, but by the faint light of the moon and the headlights of the car, I could see the two men; both fairly large from this distance, step away from the open car doors and advance on the third person.

_Shit. What the hell?_ Life experience has taught me that in situations like this, it only meant one thing. Those two guys were going to beat the living shit outta this dude. _Fuck!_ Not even 24 hours in our new house, and I'm already subject to my neighbor about to brawl on the sidewalk. Was he even my neighbor? Or was my neighbor one of the guys about to attack the lone guy?

Before I could finish my thought, one of the men circling the other lunged, fist swinging in the air. I thought it had connected at first, but it was a trick of the shadows, and the lone man side stepped just in time. It didn't save him or his chin, however, from a flying fist of the second man. It looked so hard I swear I could hear the crack as it connected. It was seconds before they both piled on top of the guy on the ground, each taking turns to punch and kick willy-nilly. 

I was moving and out the front door in seconds. My traitorous legs carried me without any input from my brain, with feet and chest bare to the chill of the night. I tried not to think about the fact I was running head first into a possible street fight without a second thought about my four year old in her bed. I would have been mortified by my irresponsibility if I didn't already have my adrenaline spiking. Pepper on the other hand would have been incredibly disappointed in me. My life wasn't just about me anymore. I had an obligation to my daughter to not die or be beaten to a pulp in a brawl in a strange country defending someone I don't know for reasons he could very well deserve. 

But I couldn't just stand there and watch as this guy got pummeled. Besides, I wasn't exactly a push over either. I dabbled with boxing on and off over the years for fitness right up until I became a single father. After Pepper died I could never find the time to continue, but I still ran every morning and occasionally meditated or did yoga. _More men need to do yoga._

I was halfway across my front yard when I realized the house they were fighting outside had been the one Rhodey visited with the roast lamb dinner. Was one of these guys this...Thor?

“Hey!” I yelled as loud as I could, maybe hoping I could wake up someone else in the neighborhood. _Could no one else hear all this racket?_ “I've called the cops, they're on their way. If you don't want to get arrested, I'd suggest you leave!”

To my surprise; or horror, the two attackers stopped immediately and turned towards me. I held up my hands showing them my phone, hoping to bluff them enough that they'd turn tail and run. My attention went to the guy who was on the ground. He was on his hands and knees, but slowly getting up, cupping his mouth. He staggered a little; dazed and confused, strings of blood tainted saliva trailing between his fingers and falling to the grass beneath him.

“Fucking foreigners,” one of the tough guys spat, the venom clear as day. “Mind your fucking business!” the other added.

I didn't stop advancing on them until I was standing in front of their car, now able to get a good look at just who was ruining my night. On closer inspection, they were just your run of the mill thugs. Plain, common, blink-and-you-forget-them faces. Tallish, a little chunky. A small part of me was slightly disappointed.

“Back off!” I practically growled, puffing my chest out and aiming to look as intimidating as I could. At 5ft9 it may have been a tiny stretch; the two goons did look slightly taller then me; but where my 175lbs was mostly muscle, theirs were not. I could definitely take out one, and; fingers crossed, if the guy on the ground was my neighbor, hopefully he could gather his wits enough to handle the other one before I got taken out from behind.

“I said, back off!” I stepped forward and the dimwit duo flinched, one plain face taking a fumbling step backwards and the other; apparently finding his balls, lowered down into a crouch. 

“Fuck this yank!” The bigger balls guy squealed, driving himself forward. 

He came at me, his arm drawn back in a sloppy looking punch that had me actually feel embarrassed for the guy. It took him a few steps to get to me, but by then I'd already determined what he was about to do, so evading his swing was easy enough. 

His foot caught on the curb as he stepped up it and he stumbled, right into my awaiting arms where I managed to spin him around and deliver a swift kick up his backside, sending him toppling back down the curb and flat onto his face. 

His tough guy friend, after seeing his buddy easily dealt with, turned tail and made a beeline for his car, but not before stepping back towards my might-be-but-most-definitely neighbor on the ground and kicked him hard. “This isn't over fucker. We'll be seeing ya!” he hissed.

To my relief the two ass holes clambered into their vehicle and without a second look back at me or the other guy, they peeled out onto the street and were gone.

The man on the ground barely stirred as I neared him. He was back on his hands and knees, cradling his stomach where he'd been kicked and was breathing hard through the pain. Slipping my eyes over his crouched form, I noticed everything he was wearing was completely black. Shirt, pants, shoes. Even his hair, which in the scuffle had become a frazzled mess and stuck to his forehead with sweat, was as dark as midnight. I was kneeling beside him when he tipped his head to the side to look directly at me. My eyes were slow to adjust now that the moon was my only source of light, but this was the first time I noticed the stark whiteness of his skin. I followed the sharp contour of his cheekbone to a shadow sweeping along the bottom of his lips where he was bleeding and going to sport a nasty cut from where he'd caught the punch from earlier.

I shook off whatever thought was on the edge of my conscious. “Hey buddy, are you OK?” was all I could come up with as I reached out to grab his shoulder. His gaze lingered on me for a mere second before he turned away, his heavy breathing calming and attention now focused on the ground in front of him. I could see him run his tongue over his teeth behind his lips; I assumed to ensure they were still intact, before raising a hand to wipe the blood and spit from his mouth and touch the cut on his bottom lip. It was then I noticed the backs of his hands and knuckles were grazed with splotches of red too. They weren't fresh, but this guy had definitely seen some action before tonight.

“Hey, are you alright?” I asked again, unsure of what I should actually do. Should I help him up? “What can I do? Do you need help getting home?” When he didn't answer right away, I automatically made a move to lift him up, but as I took his wrist to slide my arm under his shoulder, he shrugged me off and elbowed me away. 

“I'm fine,” was his monotonous answer as he rubbed his jaw, testing it.

Uh-huh, I could smell bullshit a mile off. He didn't look too worse for wear; considering the beating he just took, but I didn't feel right just leaving him on the side of the road either. 

“You live here right?” I thumbed the house behind us that Rhodey had said belonged to Thor. “Do you need help getting inside?” He didn't answer me, but shook his head instead. _OK, I'm not going to snap. I can keep my cool._

“Should I call the cops or something?” That had his eyes snap to me again. Out of fear or indignation, I couldn't be sure.

“Did you not say you had already done so?” He asked, his breath a little rattled.

I shrugged, my hand going to the back of my neck. “Uh yeah, no,” I admitted, just slightly embarrassed. “Actually, I'm not even sure _what_ the number is.” I should probably make a note to learn the emergency number here. I just didn't think I'd have to use it so soon.

Again, he said nothing. I was beginning to wonder if this guy was high and just completely out of his gourd. Or maybe his beating had left him with a concussion.  
  
“I said I'm fine. You need not concern yourself with me.” 

My eyebrows shot up into my hairline. _Need not.._ What? Who talks like that? “Look, I can't just leave you out here. Let me help you. You're bleeding pretty badly you know..” I tapped the side of my mouth with my finger, wanting him to do the same as the cut was pretty serious.

“Thank you, but that will not be necessary...”

_This fucking guy!_ “Can you stop with the tough guy act. It's not a problem and I'm not going out of my way. I live just over there, so we're neighbors. Alright?”

He was silent, but I could see his mind ticking behind his shadowed eyes. His jaw clenched, a jaw you probably cut glass on, and after what felt like an eternity, he gave a lazy nod. “Very well,” came his glib reply.

This time I didn't hesitate. I wasn't going to risk him changing his mind and us falling into this stupid back and forth again. Sliding his arm over my shoulder, I shimmied us both up to our feet. His weight sank down on me as his inner elbow settled around my neck. There were a few inches in height between us; him being the taller, so he had to hunch down to allow me to carry some of his weight, but he wasn't as heavy as I thought he was going to be. 

We turned slowly and I lead us up the path of what I was now sure was my neighbors house. As we got to the front door he fumbled with his free hand in the neckline of his shirt and pulled free a lanyard with a single key. A metal security door blocked a regular door, and my neighbor swung it open before trying to fit the key into the small keyhole. How he thought he was going to be able to do it in the dark, bleary eyed and half dead, I didn't know, so before I became too frustrated I lifted the lanyard from his neck and did it myself. I had to manage more of his weight then I liked, but the door unlocked and I gently pushed him inside as I followed closely behind. All of the lights were off as we blindly stumbled along a small alcove by the entrance, but the feel of carpet beneath my feet was a comfort nonetheless. A few seconds later, there was the sound of a thud and a small lamp on an end table flickered to life casting a soft glow that barely managed to light the entire room. What I could see; however, was surprising.

The place was a mess.

There were old crushed up beer cans, empty pizza boxes and takeaway containers strewn over the coffee table and the sofa; balled up socks and dirty clothes thrown over the chairs of a small, round dining table hidden in the corner. This was the house of a bachelor. A very messy, sloppy bachelor at that. I swear, I was too afraid to touch anything in case I caught the plague. Opposite the sofa-turned-trash can, a single large black recliner stood proudly among the mess with not a scratch on it; which actually made me laugh a little. This was the chair my neighbor decided to fall into, letting out a long groan as he went, one hand gripping the side arm for dear life.

With the lamp light on I could finally see the face of just who I was dealing with. His dark hair and clothing aside, the man looked much younger then I, at least ten years or so. I was right in assuming his skin tone, he was pale as all hell, which is very surprising considering the country he was living in. I noticed a cut above his left eyebrow had blood and grass congealed together which would need to be cleaned and dressed pretty soon if he didn't want it to get infected. Splotches of red and purple bruises smudged his cheeks and jawline, and the cuts to his lips were swollen and angry looking. The poor guy looked soundly beaten, but underneath the cuts and bruises, he was actually pretty good-looking; if you were into that kind of thing.

“Do you have a first aid kit or something around here?” I asked, side-eyeing the room and finding even more things wrong with it that made me question if I should get a tetanus shot tomorrow.

“No, I said I'm fine. I can handle it from here, thank you.”

“Well, is there anyone I can call for you then?”

He stared at me for a second before snorting and waving his hand in dismissal, head falling back to lay against the headrest. “Oh, I'm sure Prince Blockhead will be along momentarily.”

I frowned, my persistence starting to wear thin. “What are you...?”

He couldn't even let me finish my sentence before barking at me, this time a little more agitated then before. “Is your inability to understand the word 'no' a character trait, or are you purposefully disregarding what I'm saying?”

_End of rope reached._ If this guy wanted to be a damn idiot, and sit here bleeding all over the place, then so be it. 

“Look, dude. I'm just trying to help is all. I thought you might need a hand, if not from me then from someone at least. But you don't need to be a fucking - ”

“What the hell is going on out here?” A new, unfamiliar voice came out of nowhere, scaring the ever loving shit out of me.

Standing in the darkened doorway of what I could only guess was the hallway, was a man wearing nothing but a pair of black boxers and a frown. 

“Speak of the devil and he doth appear.” The injured and ungrateful bastard snorted again, a wry lopsided gin spreading across his face and splitting the cut on his lip wider and letting loose a fresh dribble of blood down to his chin.

The new guy rubbed his eyes at the same time as he ran his hand against the wall and flicked the light switch on. 

Now, look. I'm not one for having body confidence issues. I've honed myself over the years to cut a fine figure and I'm damn proud of it. In almost a decade I'm going to be hitting the fifties, and I'll be damned if I'm going to be one of those men that have saggy abs, man-boobs and am hunched over because of years of bad posture with rickety knees. Not me. No way in hell. 

But when the light came on and I could see the man standing in the doorway clearly, in all his half-naked yet pissed off glory, I swear my jaw actually hit the god damned floor. 

He was tall, at least a few inches taller then myself, and built like an over enthusiastic surfer; blonde haired and blue-eyed, complete with tight, corded muscular arms, thighs that looked like they could snap iron rods clean in half and a six pack, (or eight pack, or fucking twelve pack) smack bang in the middle of his torso; all wrapped up in the typical Australian sun-kissed tan. He wasn't a man. He was a fucking Adonis. 

I, on the other hand, felt like Grandpa fucking Simpson in comparison.

“Go back to bed Thor.” The grumpy idiot in the chair hissed, draping a forearm over his eyes.

_That was Thor?_ Holy Fuck! My mistake.

The new guy; Thor, stood up straight when he heard the voice answer him, his muscles noticeably tightening. He took a step into the room, wobbling slightly on one thick tree trunk of a leg.

“Loki?” he croaked, rubbing his eyes. “Is that.... you're back!”

The rush of emotion that came from this bronze behemoth caught me entirely by surprise; how someone so huge could move so quickly and silently was pretty impressive, that when he leaped forward towards the recliner I was unceremoniously pushed backwards, the back of my knees hitting the dirty sofa cushions and I almost fell into a pile of filthy clothes and a dinner plate with the crusts of something unrecognizable for all the mold.

“Brother, what happened?” Thor knelt at his siblings side and took his beaten face in his hands, turning it side to side assessing the damage. Loki, for all his indignation, shoved his brothers hands away.

“Get off me, you oaf,” he spat. He didn't sound too angry, just annoyed and tired. His tone made me scoff, completely amazed at the arrogance of the man, but all it did was draw the attention of the much larger brother. He turned his gaze to me for the first time and frowned. 

“Who are you?” he asked slowly, voice full of both concern and suspicion.

I swallowed hard, taking a deep breath I didn't realize I was holding since the moment our eyes met.

“I-I....just helped him outside. I'm..” Shit, I was actually stuttering under his thunderous gaze. He stared at me, unblinking, unmoving, before focusing back on his brother.

“Who did this to you?” he asked Loki, who was still laid back against the recliners headrest and refusing to answer. “Who did this to him?” It didn't take a genius to realize that question was being re-directed to me. 

_I shouldn't have left the fucking house._ “I found him outside. He was jumped by a couple of dickheads.” My gaze bounced back between the two brothers; who by the way, couldn't have looked more different then day is from night.

_“Jumped?”_ Thor's blue eyes pierced me again, his brow crinkled in confusion. I could see his mind ticking as he mouthed what I had said. 

“Yeah, out on the front lawn.” I added. _Why?_ I don't know. I don't even know why I was still here. Loki groaned in exasperation, shooting me a sly glance under heavy eyelashes. When our eyes locked I found myself swallowing down a lump that had formed in my throat. I'd seen that look many times on Pepper. He was telling me to _'get gone.'_

“By who?” Thor asked, breaking me out of my revere. 

I shook my head, “I don't...”

“For the love of god Thor, he doesn't no anything.” Loki muttered as angrily as a man who was well beaten could. He moved, shoving the enormous mass of his brother to the side easily and tried to stand. 

He was about to lift himself up from the seat before:

“What have you got yourself mixed up in this time, brother.” Thor stood straight then, towering over Loki and casting a large shadow over him. If it were not for his pallid skin and shining eyes, you couldn't even make out the form hidden there. “Did these men...hurt you?”

It was pretty damned obvious to everyone those men had hurt Loki, but I couldn't help but think there was a deeper meaning to what Thor was asking. Suddenly I felt like I was intruding on something far out of my league and very much none of my business. I was backing up towards the door we'd entered before I realized it. “Okay, so this was fun but I'm going to be leaving now.” 

Thor's attention slid to me again as he exhaled a shaky breath, his furrowed brow relaxing slightly. “I'm sorry, just... _who_ are you?” he asked again. 

An urge to give him a sympathetic smile overcame me, I guessed there was no harm in telling him I was their new neighbor. “I just moved in at the end of the street.” There was no doubt I'd be seeing them around a lot anyway. “Look, I don't think he needs a doctor or anything, he's not injured too badly. A few cuts and bruises, more so to his ego I'm willing to bet. Best to get some antiseptic cream on the worst of those cuts at least.”

Glancing back and forth between the two I figured it was fine to go. Hell, if Thor wanted to give Loki what for for fighting in the middle of the night, that was his right as his brother. I had to get back to Morgan, I'd been gone long enough as it was. “So, yeah... goodnight I guess and good luck.” Before either of them could say anything, I flung open the front door and headed out, making my way back down the street towards home. 

That was interesting, and definitely not something I wanted to repeat. I just hoped it wasn't going to come back and bite me on the ass tomorrow. I'd have to run this by Rhodes. Was breaking up fights between no-nothing thugs and ridiculously broody mischief makers going to be my new normal?

I slowed my pace. The adrenaline had left me ages ago and fatigue was starting to set in. As I neared my front lawn my attention went to the small figure huddled next to the front door holding a pillow and nibbling the corner of it. 

“Mo, what are you doing out here? You know you're not supposed to leave the house alone.” I jogged the last few steps to stop in front of my little nugget. She smiled, lowering the pillow and reaching out for me to pick her up. 

“You were gone for a long time,” she said innocently, burying her warm face into the crook of my neck. “Is everything okay daddy?” Her arms and legs wrapped around me in a giant bear hug, and just like that any irritation at her or even at the idiots on the street, melted away. I pushed open the door and carried her inside. She was getting so big, and it would be just a matter of time before she would be too big to carry. I didn't want to think about it. God help any future boy that tried to come within 10 feet of her.

I snuggled her against me as I may our way back to bed, giving her a flurry of kisses on her forehead. “Everything's fine Mo. I had to check on our new neighbor.” 

“Is he okay?” she asked against my neck, sleepily. 

“He'll be fine.” It was an honest enough answer. It's not like I could actually tell her that little Lord Bitch and Brood across the way was probably dying from internal injuries. Not today at least. “Let's get back to sleep babe.”


End file.
